J. Arthur Baird

James Arthur Baird (November 2, 1877 – July 26, 1964) was an American football and baseball player, track athlete, coach of football, basketball, and baseball, college athletics administrator, lawyer, and Hancock County, Illinois judge.[1][2]

J. Arthur Baird
Baird circa 1914
Biographical details
Born(1877-11-02)November 2, 1877
Ferris, Illinois
DiedJuly 26, 1964(1964-07-26) (aged 86)
Galesburg, Illinois
Playing career
Football
1896–1899Carthage
1900–1902Northwestern
Position(s)Guard
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Football
1903–1905Carleton
1906–1907Whitman
1908–1914Carthage
Basketball
1907–1914Carthage
Baseball
1910–1916Carthage
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1907–1915Carthage
Head coaching record
Overall19–41 (basketball)
21–25–2 (baseball)

Biography

Baird was born on November 2, 1877 in Ferris, Illinois to Alexander Baird (1851–1916) and Allie May Moore (1853–1942). He graduated from Carthage College in 1900 and was the first athlete to letter in three sports in one season.[2][1]

He next enrolled at Northwestern University School of Law and played college football there from 1900 to 1902.[1] He played at the guard and center positions and also handled kicking for Northwestern.[3][4][5] He was also a member of the Northwestern track team, competing in the pole vault and high jump, and was selected in June 1903 as captain of the track team.[6]

He served as the head football coach at Carleton College from 1903 to 1905.[7][8] He served as the head football coach at Whitman College from 1906 to 1907.[9][10]

From 1908 to 1915, Baird served as the head football coach at Carthage College. He was also the head basketball coach at Carthage from 1906 to 1914 and the head baseball coach there from 1910 to 1914.[11][1]

On June 23, 1913, Baird married Georgia Hubbs in New York.[12] She died in 1917.

Baird was elected as a Hancock County, Illinois judge in 1910 and served to 1914. When asked about the continuation of town meetings, he described them as: "not as effective as in olden times, but still stands ready to render us a service."[13] He served a single term, and then returned to his private law practice. He was elected for a second four-year term in 1934 and he was re-elected in 1938, 1942, and in 1946. Baird retired from the bench when his final term expired in 1950.[1]

Baird died on July 26, 1964 in Galesburg, Illinois.[14][1] He was buried next to his wife.[15]

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References
  1. "J. Arthur Baird". Carthage College. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
  2. "J. Arthur Baird". Illinois State Bar Association. 1946. p. 379.
  3. "Gophers' Clean Victory". Chicago Tribune. November 18, 1900. p. 18 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. "Purple Defeated By Heavy Gophers". The Inter Ocean. November 24, 1901. p. 17 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. "Maroons Trail Purple In Dust". Chicago Tribune. October 19, 1902. pp. 9–10 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. "Baird To Captain Purple Team". The Inter-Ocean. June 5, 1903. p. 13 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Carleton's New Coach. J. Arthur Baird Has a Wide Reputation as Football Player and All Around Athlete". The_Minneapolis_Journal. September 12, 1903. Retrieved December 20, 2017 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Baird Will Return To Coach Carleton". The St. Paul Globe. March 9, 1904. p. 5 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Coach Baird Arrives". The Evening Statesman. September 13, 1906. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Coach of '06 Is To Return: Most Popular Trainer Whitman Ever Had is to Mould '07 Football Team". The Evening Statesman. February 14, 1907 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. "Football Year-by-Year Records". Carthage College.
  12. Crimson Rambler 1915, Carthage College
  13. "Powers of Towns". Journal of the House of Representatives. 1914.
  14. "Judge J. Arthur Baird". Illinois Bar Journal. 1964.
  15. "J. Arthur Baird". Findagrave. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
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